


Call for me - Intermission - Kenjirou's Choice

by IllyasJames



Series: Blood Magic [37]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Family Feels, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 19:22:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12489044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllyasJames/pseuds/IllyasJames
Summary: Growing up in a town protected by a Bell priest temple Kenjirou Minami grew up believing in their way of doing things.Sure people could struggle with the taxes that had to be paid, but never to a point of destitute.When his powers manifest around the time his older brother drops his education to help provide for the family, he makes the only choice he thinks he could make.





	Call for me - Intermission - Kenjirou's Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Day 255 of my 365FF Challenge
> 
> A second story in one day. And from the Blood Mage series. There is the word Intermission in the tittle as it is not a real part of the longer story, but actually a story I had been planning as a Patreon incentive. Oh well I have enough of those in my notes to last me the whole of next year. :}
> 
> So many of you know I've been dealing with some severe depressions for a while now. What most of you all don't know is that my triggers are my actual brother and sister and the stress they cause in my life.  
> After having a fairly good week, they managed to ruin it during my brother's birthday get-together, and I didn't even attend knowing they would team up on me. My mom came back so bloody angry I could feel the stress spike and it made me get instant migraine. So I'll be writing some stories to get that out of my system as I do not want it to murk up my Sea series.
> 
> As always I sent you off to enjoy the work by reminding that [ my tumblr ](http://the-world-of-illyas-james.tumblr.com/) is always available if you feel the need to sent me an ask or start a conversation over messages.  
> Seriously. I love receiving them. And I do my best to always answer. :}
> 
> Small service announcement;  
> A more pressing issue, however, is Update Demands. I've gotten a couple of comments about this and, please, I am begging you, don't do the thing. I know you're excited; hell, I'm excited about seeing the next chapter/sequel too, I love the enthusiasm you guys have! However, I am also a person who suffers from anxiety and that makes it hard to write, especially when I feel like I'm being pressured. I will get blocked and there will be no updates if this happens. Not because I'm being mean, but I genuinely just don't handle it well.  
> So please respect me, and try your best to not come of as rude in your enthusiasm.  
> Thank you. :}

Kenjirou had always been told that his birth had been a blessing to his family. A second healthy boy. There were stories that his father had gone around town to share his joy with whoever wanted to listen. Going as far as eliciting the stern look of some Bell priests who had ventured through their streets with his overjoyed antics, believing his father had been more than just ecstatic. Especially as the Bell priest look down on drinking habits. 

He had also ever since he was young had picked up the whispers that it had been those antics that had led to the temple demanding a higher portion of his parents through taxes. But his parents had told him time and time again that those were just falls sayings of people who wished they had been blessed with two such healthy and strong children. 

It isn't till he sees his parents struggle to pay for both his as his brother Kenichi's education that he figures that most people only have one child as it is costly to provide the tools to make them succeed in life. He knows his brother would love to become a trained healer and that those lessons are really expensive. So by the time he turned seven he was often found helping people out with chores here and there, leading to some extra food on the table. Or on some days the only food they would have. 

If traders came through their town he was often found among them, and more often than not he would come home with far more item's (and coins) his mother had asked him to get. Of course people would talk about what the young boy might be trading for those item's, but he kept looking pure to anyone who had an eye to see it. And any trader who got asked simply said the kid was so energetic and endearing they could not help but feel like they wanted to help him. 

His antics helped them keep their heads afloat for several years, even if the temple requests a higher cut from them saying he made his living. Kenjirou didn't mind, after all without the protection from the temple he was certain their town would have found themselves plundered by roving groups of Blood Mages. Plus there was talk of a group of mercenaries going around taking out these groups but demanding high compensation for their services. The Bell priest kept telling them how lucky they were to be under the protection of such a strong temple. And that strength took a lot of money to uphold. 

For his tenth birthday his parents had given him a new set of clothes, which must have cost some money as they used to hand him his brother's old ones, so that was quite a treat. His brother gave him a bag filled with little sticks, showing him how to play the game, he loved it immensely. He was soon never seen without carrying it with him. 

Soon after his brother starts to work for one of the scribes in town on days there are no classes. Kenjirou thinks nothing of it as he figures his brother is trying to make extra money to help pay for his education. It isn't till his brother stops going to classes that Kenjirou asks him about it. 

"Kenichi? Are you working all those hours in the day to make more money for your school?" he bites his back a sigh "If you leave school too long they might let you train as a healer."

"I know." Kenichi's voice sounds resigned. "I don't think I'll try that. It is so expensive and with father barely making enough to feed us all." He sighs. "It's for the best. Maybe if I do this you'll be able to get an education when we get settled a bit." 

Kenjirou looks up, trembling lips. "I don't want to see you give up your dream for me brother. Please. I don't even know what I want to do, you do." Big tears run down his cheeks.

Kenichi steps towards him and cradles his face in his hands giving him a soft smile. "What I want to do is make certain my brother gets everything to make certain he will grow up in a strong man. You are worth more than a dream." 

After that neither brother spoke about it. Every morning Kenjirou would wake up to see his brother's bed empty, knowing he would be alone on his path to the classes, knowing his brother would come home late every day looking less happy every day more. 

One day a small group of traders came through their village. Kenjirou recognized a few of them and soon one of them found themselves holding a crying boy. He had never showed them anything but his exuberant self so the lady took him apart from the rest and made him talk about what would make their little cheerful bundle over energy look so demure. He never gets the chance to answer though.

"I bet it is his powers finally forming. When that happened to my sister her emotions were all over the place for weeks. Then she blew something up and the Mages came and took her. They tested all of the rest of us to see if we were any good. The last thing I heard my sister was sold into prospect to some high and mighty lady up north." The old lady cackles a bit. "Assume she be dead now, prospects never do live very long. Better of getting trained as a bell priest if it comes down to it."

Kenjirou just stares at her for a while. His powers? But he doesn't have any of those. He tells the trader that and is shocked even more when she shakes her head.

"No, I'm fairly certain you have little one. A bit young for them to manifest, as they usually don't come showing till one is about ten or eleven." 

Kenjirou blushes. "I'm already ten. Turned that some months ago." 

"Really? Well in that case, go around the temple and get yourself looked at. She is right you know. Blood mages have a nose in finding people who's magic is just blossoming. Now with the temple so close i guess you'll have some coverage, but if any would come into town." She shakes her head. "Life of a Blood mage prospect is indeed not very long. Or pleasurable." 

She pats him on the head and sends him away with some bread and some coins. Telling him she hopes to see him when they come back around one day.

Kenjirou looks at the things in his arms and runs home, drops them off before his mother can even make a comment and runs back out again. Straight for the temple. 

There is only one thought in his head. If he really does have powers, he can request being trained at the temple, his parents will be excluded from donating anything for five years and that should be enough to have his brother get the time and money to become a healer. 

The laugh that bubbles from his chest is the most genuine one he has had in weeks. 

That evening when the family is all together he is bouncing in his chair to tell his parents the news. The priest that had assessed him had wanted him to sign the contract at once, stating they would send a messenger to his parents. Kenjirou had insisted he wanted to be the one to tell them, after all it is what a good son would do. In the end the man had to relent, giving him three days to return or the offer would pass. 

He looks at his brother's tired face. It is clear his brother doesn't like his work, so he's just happy he can help him like this. When he finally tells them though, both his brother as his parents start crying. Telling him he should wait, hold it off for a few years, he was still so young. They are not happy to hear that he only has a few days or his chance to be trained would be over, and when he tells them what the traders had said about Blood Mages his parents reluctantly agreed. 

The morning of his departure he wakes up to his brother sitting on his bed, looking at him. 

"Every morning I woke up looking at you sleep in that bed, now I'll have to look at an empty bed, knowing you are to become a priest." Kenichi sighs. "What am I to do." 

Kenjirou sits up. "Become the best trained healer ever to be found. Maybe even go to the Capital and train there. I know you can do it." he smiles broadly. "Just think. I'll be one of the best Bell priests there is going to be found and you will be the best healer. The joy such futures would bring our parents." 

After that the brothers dress themselves in silence, go downstairs in silence, and eat their breakfast in silence. It is also in silence they share a hug at their door, knowing they will not see each other for a while. Kenjirou hugs his mother and father before lifting a small bag with the bare essentials the priest had told him to take with him. When he walks away to go to the temple he turns many times to wave, drinking in the image of his family. 

He does not see his mother lean over to his brother. "Smile Kenichi darling, he has no use for your tears. we will shed them once he is out of sight, but till then smile. He will be back one day.I am sure of it."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this
> 
> All comments are greatly appreciated, even one as little as a smiley. :}


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